​More than 47 million people are living with dementia around the world with no cure in sight. This stark reality is why business executives, policymakers and other stakeholders gathered in Stockholm, Sweden last week for one of the world’s premier dementia conferences – Dementia Forum X. The conference, organized by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden through the Forum for Elderly Care, is a day of reflection and discussion around five key pillars: finance, care, society, research and business.

Representing the voice of “care” this year is Home Instead Senior Care – the world's leading provider of home care services for the elderly. Trevor Brocklebank, CEO Emeritus of Home Instead Senior Care UK, provided conference attendees with insights on best practices for care gained from the network’s more than 20 years serving those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. In 2016 alone, Home Instead provided more than 60 million hours of care around the world, ranging from companionship and medication management to personal care and specialized care for people living with dementia.

“We see the impact of dementia every day – from the people living with dementia and the toll it takes on the health and wellbeing of the family caregiver to the financial impact on families and health systems,” said Brocklebank. “By sharing our experience, we hope to build a better support structure for people with dementia and those who care for them.”

Under Brocklebank’s leadership, Home Instead UK was honored with the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2016, and in England, Home Instead Senior Care has received five times more “Outstanding” ratings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) than any other home care provider.

Dementia Forum X is a biannual meeting held with the purpose of inspiring dialogue, promoting new ideas and increasing awareness related to dementia and the challenges it poses to societies worldwide. First held in 2015, it serves as an accelerator for creativity, innovation and sustainable actions toward risk reduction, care and drug discovery. In the two years since the first conference, small groups met and worked to implement, evaluate and fine tune goals and potential projects that were previously identified – with the purpose of leaving no stone unturned and no possibility untapped.

“Dementia Forum X was created to take action on the implications of demographic changes in the global society, as well as, the alarming and increasing rates of dementia, which require comprehensive social partnerships as part of the solution,” said Dr. Karin Lind-Mörnesten, CEO of Forum for Elderly Care and Swedish Care International. “Therefore, we invited global representatives from society's most relevant sectors to create a shared understanding and dialogue regarding dementia and to find solutions for those living with dementia.”

This year’s conference aimed to help not only those living with the disease, but their family caregivers. In addition, attendees discussed how the global health crisis impacts the world economy with a yearly average cost of 818 billion U.S. dollars, a figure that increases every day.